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116 
 
establishment of a unified body of equal citizens based on the principles of 
Communism is made possible. One of the most important elements of Lenin’s 
policy was the right of nations to self-determination, which he saw as linked 
exclusively to the right to political secession. He believed that even if small nations 
did seize the opportunity to declare themselves independent states, they would soon 
realise the benefits of being part of a larger territorial unit and would opt for 
reincorporation.
311
 
“For Lenin the ethnic constitution of such a polity included proposals to 
divide the country into autonomous and self-governing territorial units 
according –among other things- to nationality; freedom and equality of 
languages, and the protection of the cultural and educational rights of 
minorities. With socialism’s establishment, such a programme also 
envisaged the sblizhenie (‘coming together’) and eventual sliyanie 
(‘merger’) of the proletariat of different nations.”
312
 
 
In other words, the Soviet solution to the nationality question was the 
strategy of ethno-territorial proliferation: 
“The Soviet solution was to extend their system of national-territorial units 
downward into smaller and smaller territories, the smallest being the seize 
of a single village. …Territorially dispersed nationalities would no longer 
be threatened with assimilation, and therefore, according to Soviet theory, 
the potential for defensive nationalism and the resulting ethnic conflict 
would be defused.”
313
 
 
In compliance with this policy, Stalin participated the Congresses held in 
the North Caucasus in November 1920. In the Congress of the Peoples of Dagestan 
held in Temir Khan Shura on 13 November and the Congress of Mountaineers of 
                                                                                                                                        
310
 See J. V. Stalin, “Marxism and the National Question,” in Collected Works, vol. 2, (Moscow, 
1952-55), 307 and also see Joseph Stalin, 1942. Marxism and Nationality Question, New York: 
International Publishers. In addition, for a detailed analysis see Wixman, Language Aspects, 21-43. 
311
 On the Bolshevik and then the Soviet nationality policy and the establishment of the Soviet 
Union see Terry Martin, 2001. The Affirmative Action Empire: Nations and Nationalism in the 
Soviet Union, 1923-1939, New York: Cornell University Press. 

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Terek held in Vladikavkaz on 17 November, Stalin read out Lenin’s decree on 
Soviet autonomy for Dagestan and the North Caucasus. He said that the new 
administration would “respect for traditions and the peculiarities of the region’s 
peoples but not their separation from Russia.”
314
 In relation with that he declared 
that Moscow would granted full rights of administration to people on the basis of 
their indigenous laws and customs. 
“If they wanted to be ruled by Shariat the regime would abide by it. This 
was music to minorities’ ears and they proclaimed autonomy on 20 January 
1921. At the same time Stalin hedged his promise by noting that all native 
peoples could live according to their customs but within the framework of 
the common constitution of Russia.”
315
 
 
On 20 January 1920, in compliance with these policy initiatives, the Central 
Executive Committee created two autonomous republics, Dagestan Autonomous 
Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) and Soviet Mountain Republic (Gorskaia 
Sovietskaia Respublika), which comprised the Chechen, Ingush, Osetian, 
Kabardian, Balkar and Karachay territories, and incorporated them into RSFSR. 
The Soviet Mountain Republic however was short lived. Once Soviet power was 
firmly established, the regime divided the region into smaller ethnic territories in 
1921 and created six autonomous units from 1922 to 1924: Karachay-Cherkess 
Autonomous Oblast (AO) 12 January 1922, Kabardino-Balkar AO 16 January 
1922, Adyge AO 27 July 1922, Chechen AO 20 November 1922. With the 
                                                                                                                                        
312
 Graham Smith, 1996. “The Soviet State and Nationalities Policy,” In Graham Smith eds., The 
Nationalities Question in the Post-Soviet States, London: Longman, 2-22. 
313
 Martin, The Affirmative Action, 33. 
314
 D’Encausse, The Great Challenge, 116-7. 
315
 Blank, “The Soviet North Caucasus,” 23-4. 

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establishment of Ingush AO and North Osetian AO 7 July 1924 which republic 
ceased to exist.
316
 
Among the most interesting examples of the implementation of Soviet 
policy of fragmentation
317
 were those of the Karachay-Balkars and the Circassian 
populations. Despite the existence of a logical way of delineating the territories of 
these two peoples latitudinally, i. e., in the north a Circassian AO, and the south a 
Karachay-Balkar AO, the Soviets choose to split both peoples longitudinally into a 
Karachay-Cherkess and a Kabardino-Balkar territory. So from two people four 
were created.
318
 
Then using the language as a basis, the Soviet regime created and provided 
ethnic homelands to the different peoples, within which they were entitled to use a 
variety of ethnic institutions. These titular nationalities gained some privileges 
within their homelands and were permitted to use their own languages in the press, 
broadcasting and education. 
Stalin believed that the native languages would make Soviet power 
comprehensible. In line, “native cadres, who understood ‘the way of life, customs, 
                                                 
316
 Later on depending on Moscow’s policies the territorial boundaries and the statutes of those units 
changed several times. On 26 April 1926 the Karachay-Cherkess AO was further divided into a 
separate Karachay AO and Cherkess AO, on 5 December 1936 the Kabardino-Balkar AO was 
elevated to ASSR status, and on 15 January 1934 the Chechen and Ingush territories were united in 
the one Checheno-Ingush AO and then elevated to ASSR status on 5 December 1936. 
317
 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was consisted of hierarchical national-territorial 
units. At the top, there were the Union Republics (SSRs) which were the building blocs of the 
USSR. Then there were Autonomous Republics (ASSRs). These were sub-divisions of the larger 
union republics, designated as the territories of national minorities. The Autonomous Oblasts or 
provinces (AOs) were paced at the third level of hierarchy and the designated territory of national 
minorities living in a coterminous geographic area within a union republic. In addition to these AOs 
there were other oblasts, which were the basic non-national administrative units of the union 
republics. Beyond that there were the Krais or the border regions and Autonomous Okrugs or the 
national provinces. Krais were large territories of geographic or military significance, located in 
strategically important borderlands and Okrugs were the smallest of the national-territorial units. 
318
 For a detailed discussion and the examples of Soviet delimitations see Wixman, Language 
Aspects, 137-141. 

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